Mulgrew hails visionary McCann as club prepares to honour business who saved club from bankruptcy 20 years ago

Charlie Mulgrew has hailed Fergus McCann as a visionary who kept Celtic free of the financial disarray witnessed at other clubs.

The 20th anniversary of McCann’s arrival to rescue Celtic will be marked at Saturday’s match against Inverness, almost two decades to the day since he stepped into save the club from bankruptcy.

McCann himself will travel to Glasgow later in the year to be guest of honour at the first game of the new season.

Milestone: Charlie Mulgrew is calling on fans to honour Fergus McCann 20 years since he took over Celtic

Faith: Lifelong fan Mulgrew said while he was young at the time he felt fans misunderstood McCann's motives

The prudent way in which he subsequently ran the club provoked some supporter ire during the 1990s – including being infamously booed when unfurling the league flag in 1998 – but that approach, and the revamp of the stadium, laid the foundations for Celtic’s recent success.

Saviour: McCann's prudent running of Celtic has been credited for the recent success of the club

The fact both Rangers and Hearts have been plunged into administration in the past couple of years only increases the gratitude lifelong Celtic fan Mulgrew feels to McCann.

‘I was young at the time when Fergus arrived but I’ve heard a lot since,’ said the Scotland international. ‘At the time, I remember a lot of fans didn’t fully understand what he was doing for Celtic. But what a clever person he was. He transformed the place and we’re all very thankful for it now.

‘It’s hard to believe he was booed once as he unfurled a flag. You can’t imagine that happening now.

‘But the supporters didn’t realise back then how great he would be for the club. He was accused of being a bit tight. But now? As a fan, I can’t thank him enough.

‘Every time we run out at Celtic Park, a fantastic big stadium, you realise it was Fergus who gave us that. He did huge things for Celtic and I’m sure anyone who doubted him realises they were wrong.

‘When you think now about clubs over-spending, he was ahead of his time and he knew what he was doing. There are a couple of clubs now who could do with a Fergus McCann.’

‘In 1989 the process did not begin as a takeover,’ wrote McCann. ‘But by 1992 it became clearly the best way forward.

‘I want to thank the financing partners who joined me and had faith in my plan, especially John Keane and Albert Friedberg, the colleagues who worked tirelessly collecting shares and proxies and challenging the entrenched "custodians" and most of all the many concerned supporters who campaigned and held the board and the bank publicly accountable.

‘This was followed by the supporters stepping forward in great numbers by investing in Celtic’s future with their hard-earned cash at a level never seen for a football club before or since, because of the importance of the club in their lives.

‘Like them, I care greatly for the values and history of the club that was founded for noble purposes to help fund the penny dinner tables of the poor in Glasgow’s East End.

‘I am very proud when I see Celtic’s progress, its status in Scotland, and its worldwide reputation. Especially when I see the great work of Celtic FC Foundation carrying on the legacy of Brother Walfrid.’

Honoured: McCann writes in Saturday's programme notes about his pride at Celtic's standing in Glasgow and in carrying on the legacy of club founder, Brother Walfrid, pictured on the wall behind him

Celtic, meantime, have launched an appeal against the red card that was shown to defender Virgil van Dijk during Tuesday’s defeat to Aberdeen.

The Parkhead club submitted the relevant paperwork for a claim of wrongful dismissal yesterday and the case will be heard by the Scottish FA’s Disciplinary Tribunal next Thursday. That means the Dutch centre-half, who is facing a one game ban, will be available to face Inverness.

And elsewhere yesterday, Fraser Forster was one of four goalkeepers named by Roy Hodgson in his England squad to face Denmark next week.

Appeal: Celtic are challenging the red card of Virgil van Dijk after he was sent of against Aberdeen

Challenge: Virgil's case will be heard next Thursday, meaning he can play against Inverness on Saturday